Portsmouth 1 Stoke 2: Salif Diao delivers another blow to Pompey

For those who believe fate is against Portsmouth and the club are doomed, this was more ammunition.

Salif Diao, who netted Stoke's injury-time winner, had not scored for six years, while Frederic Piquionne, Pompey's goalscorer, fired another perfectly good goal which was disallowed for offside.

Last-gasp: Salif Diao (left) celebrates scoring the winning goal

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant summed up the game well when he said: 'We deserved to win, but in football there is no deserve.'

Now there may be no football either, at least not at Fratton Park if the High Court lack sympathy on March 1.

Pompey fans cheered their team as though there was no tomorrow, because there may not be. The Pompey Chimes rang out, especially when Piquionne punished Thomas Sorensen for spilling Quincy Owusu-Abeyie's shot in the 35th minute.

The French striker had netted in the 20th minute, but the referee's assistant flagged wrongly for offside.

Off the mark: Frederic Piquionne opens the scoring at Fratton Park

Grant said: 'Piquionne was playing his best game for us. Then he had to come off with a hamstring injury.'

But Pompey led at half time, then Stoke boss Tony Pulis came up with
a feisty team talk, and the Stoke side that came out for the second
period reflected that. Robert Huth headed Glenn Whelan's corner home
five minutes later.

Portsmouth could still have won it, especially after Andy Wilkinson
received the third and most undeserved red card of his career after a
second yellow for
a tussle with Aruna Dindane as they battled for the ball.

Stoke striker Ricardo Fuller was luckier following a nasty kick at
Jamie O'Hara. It was Fuller who sprinted away on the counter-attack to
expose Grant's desperate introduction of a five-man attack.

Who should pop up to rifle the winner but Diao.
'I couldn't believe it,' said Pulis, whose Stoke side are now unbeaten
in 10 games and have not lost in 2010. 'Diao normally struggles to get
over the halfway line.'

Diao agreed. 'We all have our roles, I am a defensive midfielder and that is why you never see me score,'
he said.

Tower of strength: Robert Huth nods Stoke level

Portsmouth stand on the brink this morning, although Grant said: 'I
will keep fighting while I still can. I am still optimistic.'.